Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 28
She smiled, a cold calculating smile, as she stepped away from the three and bowed to him. Their faces were shocked as they watched her. "Thank you, my Master. It wasn't easy."
"Pearl?" Obi-Wan looked at her, silently imploring her to look at him.
She walked towards the Sith, turning halfway, her hand going to her lightsaber as she looked at them. "Think you can take me, Obi-Wan?"
She looked at him coldly as he watched her, incredulous. "You can't mean this, not after everything you said, everything you did..."
"Feeling betrayed, Kenobi?" She taunted, easily throwing her lightsaber from one hand to the other. "I should hope so. You Jedi are fools. To think you honestly feel something for me. By now you should know I'll never betray my Master."
Sidious stood and carefully began to walk towards them, stopping at Tasha's side. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you proud to be the father of a future Sith, Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan glared at the man for a half second before taking a deep breath and allowing his anger to drain away. "You will never have my child. It's better she die now, unborn, than live her life under your thumb."
"You would kill the mother of your child? The woman you claim to love?"
He flinched, stepping forward past Anakin and facing the cloaked man. "If it means ridding the galaxy of the Sith presence, yes."
Tasha's hand slipped down to her abdomen, her eyes flashing green fire. "You may think you can best me Obi-Wan, but a woman fights for her offspring. You won't harm my child."
Sidious laughed. "I see we have a lover's spat. Did you tell him, my apprentice?"
"Yes Master."
"Then he knows what will be expected of him?"
"Yes Master."
"Will he comply?"
She slanted a glance at Obi-Wan. "No Master."
"No?"
She shook her head.
"I see. He'll have to be persuaded then. Did you find Rykezzk and Nishya?"
"Rykezzk found me. He tried to kill me."
Sidious didn't even glance at her. "I see he failed."
"Skywalker's wife killed him. A lucky shot from what I gathered from her thoughts. Something about being bested with Force lightening and then waking up slung over his shoulder. He took her feet under the chin and it snapped his neck."
The dark lord said nothing as she gave him details.
"Nishya wasn't with him as far as I could tell. Shielding myself from the Force didn't allow me to scan thoroughly for her presence."
"I killed her."
Her gaze went to Obi-Wan who was standing at the ready, his face an unreadable mask. "You?"
He nodded.
"My my, you're a better choice for a consort than I thought. I wouldn't move that way, Skywalker, the traps on the floor are lethal to Jedi."
Anakin froze in the direction he was going, his gaze scanning the floor. Nothing. But then, nothing in the Force either. It seemed like a Force-dead area. "Why are you doing this, Tasha?"
She didn't even look at him as he gaze went back to Kenobi. "I told you it was too late, Skywalker, but you didn't listen. This is the only way I'll truly be free."
Obi-Wan's felt as if he'd been kicked in the chest. This couldn't be happening, not after the chances he'd taken to try and get through to her! "You can't win, Pearl. There are three of us against you, you can't hope to take all of us on."
Sidious laughed a low, maniacal laugh. "You forget, young Kenobi, that I have the power to heighten her strength." He stepped away from her, back towards his chair. "Jade is my finest pupil, better than even Skywalker. Kill the woman first."
Tasha's face was filled with an incredulous look but it vanished in a half second. He'd never told her that, why did he have to wait until now to boost her ego? She felt his invasion, his power, suffuse her body, the strength of his will destroying her shield and opening her to the Force. Yet a part of her remained detached, hidden from his presence. She would never allow him to see it, even in death. Her lightsaber ignited. Her gaze went to where Padmé stood with her blaster leveled on her. "You're dead, Lady Skywalker."
Anakin's blade ignited, followed closely by Obi-Wan's. "You'll have to get through us first, Tasha."
Her lips thinned into a firm line. "So be it."
She exploded into action, a blur of movement as the Force wrapped around her, guiding her movements. Her rapid strikes and lightning fast blows put both men back on their heels, quickly dropping into defensive positions as her single, amber blade rained blow after blow upon them. The three lightsabers crossed in front of her and she laughed, a sound of pure pleasure, as she threw them wide and flipped upwards. Hidden in the shadows overhead were catwalks. Designed for the security force that was conspicuously absent, Tasha was familiar with their every inch. She closed down her blade as she flipped to the catwalk and ran towards the blast doors, her eyes on her target.
Padmé carefully lined the other woman up with her blaster, but was loath to shoot her. She was carrying a child and that child had done nothing to deserve death. Tasha closed in as Anakin and Obi-Wan swiftly came to her side, their lightsabers forming a protective wall around her.
The smell of burning ozone was the only warning they got as blue-white lightening flashed from half-way across the room and into their group. Padmé bit her lip to keep from screaming as the sensation of being impaled by a million little lightsabers flashed through her skull. Just as quickly, the sensation was gone.
Anakin stood before them, lightsaber outstretched, catching the bolts on the blade. "You'll have to do better than that, Palpatine."
Tasha dropped from the rafters, landing directly in front of Obi-Wan, her lightsaber in hand. It ignited with its distinctive snap-hiss and he barely had a chance to raise his blade to block her blow as she struck. He was sweating, immersed in the force so deeply he didn't even notice that his physical body was straining from exertion. The Force lightning had weakened him, yet his reflexes were precise, smooth. Tasha fought with a grace and cunning he hadn't seen since Darth Maul. No, that wasn't exactly right. She fought as a blend of two styles mixed with her own. And because of that, she was a very deadly opponent.
She feinted to the left, drawing him that way before going back right. Obi-Wan just barely had time to get his lightsaber in the way as Tasha lunged for Padmé. Their blades crossed in front of Padmé, who leveled her blaster at Tasha. A half second later it was forcefully ripped from her grasp by an invisible hand and sent spinning across the floor. She stepped away from the deadly blades as Tasha turned to look at Obi-Wan, her eyes narrowing. "You will not interfere."
She twirled her blade against his, sparks flying as the motion picked up speed. He found her rhythm, matched it, and allowed the Force to guide him. He was ready when she made to jump away, towards Padmé, and stepped into her path, his blade above his head to catch her downwards stroke. They were a blur of light as blue crossed amber again and again, the sound of clashing energy echoing through the chamber. Obi-Wan refused to give. He was hard-pressed to defend against her, but he was damn well going to try. She lunged again and, as he moved to block, countered it, scoring a hit on his thigh that sent him to his knees.
A quick, burning sensation and then numbness made him gasp. "Obi-Wan!" Padmé's call was anxious. "Anakin!"
Anakin couldn't spare a glance behind him, but he knew what he'd see, he'd felt it in the Force. Obi-Wan had taken a vicious hit to one of his thighs. Yet, he still held onto his lightsaber. If he didn't move and Obi-Wan couldn't hold Tasha back, he could lose Padmé! That was unforgivable; he wouldn't allow it to happen.
Tasha slashed at the downed Knight, sending his lightsaber spinning as she flipped over his head. He'd been disoriented by her attack, by his injury, and his hold on his weapon and the Force had weakened. Surprisingly, she felt no pride in besting him. She landed a few steps behind him and advanced on Padmé.
Padmé's sleeve blaster dropped into her hand and she shot twice at the approaching woman. Tasha deflected the bolts away from her. "You can't win, Lady Skywalker."
"Neither can you, Tasha." Padmé continued to back away, wondering why she didn't just rush her and get this over with. Why didn't Tasha just kill her quickly? "So this is what you want? To be enslaved to power? You have such-"
"Shut up."
Padmé gulped as green fires lit the woman's eyes. She was being stalked expertly, driven to wherever Tasha wanted her to go. Slowly, she made to change the course, but to no avail. Where was Tasha pushing her?
Tasha fought against the compulsion of her Master to strike quickly. Why strike when one could savor the fear of your enemy? She wouldn't allow him to control her. As she's told the Jedi, she would be no man's slave. Carefully, she continued to stalk the other woman, driving her back and to the left. Into the shadows.
Anakin felt Padmé's distress, her fear at what was going to happen. And yet she was calm. He took pride in the fact that she didn't believe herself beaten yet. Palpatine's tricks were many, from Force lightning to mind tricks that threatened to tear his mental blocks down. His bond to the evil Sith had been broken for a long time, and the evil power could find no hand hold.
Anakin advanced on the man, catching another burst of Force lightning on his blade. Unconsciously, he reached out and pulled Obi-Wan's lightsaber to him. If he was going to approach that menace, he wanted to do it with an extra weapon in hand. "I won't tolerate this any longer, Sidious! You've harmed enough of my family."
Anakin was frantically searching for a way to break away from Palpatine's assault and go to his wife's aid. The Sith lord was relentless, his attacks increasing in strength as Anakin fended each one off. Anakin quickly understood that diving the man's attention was crucial. Each time one attack stopped, he felt Palpatine's focus drift for a second, replenishing or checking Tasha's strength, before starting another attack on him. It was in that split second which he would have to act. Padmé's mind was accessible with him so deeply immersed in the Force and he could tell she was planning something. A smile kicked up the side of his mouth as he realized she had her mental blocks firmly in place. Pride swelled his chest as he caught another blot of lightning.
Padmé was continuing to back away from Tasha when, all of a sudden, Anakin cried out, drawing her attention. Lightning sizzled where Anakin had been standing moments before. Her eyes widened when there was a rush of wind in front of her face. Anakin landed between her and Tasha, his lightsaber swinging towards her head, Obi-Wan's spinning through the air to his side and catching the bolt of Force energy Sidious sent his way.
Tasha parried his blow as Padmé tripped over her blaster, going down hard on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she realized where Tasha had been herding her. She scooped the blaster into her hand before turning to watch. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Anakin and Tasha fight.
And what a fight it was. Their lightsabers were long streaks of light and sparks, clashing together repeatedly as they fought to gain the upper hand. Anakin was a brilliant whirl of color, twirling and quick stepping to keep driving Tasha back. She was rocked back on her heels, suddenly on the defensive at his vicious attack. Her amber blade wove back and forth in a defensive pattern that kept his twin blades at bay, but never gave her the opportunity to counter attack. She was pushed back one slow step at a time until her Master launched an attack at Skywalker.
He whirled away, catching the lightning on the crossed blades before spinning to attack Tasha again. She wasn't there.
"ANAKIN!"
He turned in time to receive a kick to the face that sent him sprawling. Before he could react the hum of a lightsaber was close to his neck, the hairs singed from the proximity of the blade. "Don't move, Skywalker."
"Anakin!"
Anakin closed his eyes against Padmé's horrified voice. He could feel her terror, the deeply routed fear that he was going to be taken from her permanently. He couldn't allow that to happen. His children, his wife; his family needed him. Breathing shallowly, he kept his face turned to the side as one strong boot settled between his shoulder blades. The lightsabers were torn from his grip and sent spinning away. He could fairly feel the energy crackling around the woman who held his life in the palm of her hands.
"Stay where you are, Lady Skywalker, unless you want your husband to be my new pincushion." Anakin's heart froze in his chest at Tasha's words. "That's it, over there, right next to Ob- Kenobi. Good. Now, ten steps to your right."
Anakin felt a sudden shiver of dread as Padmé and Obi-Wan disappeared from the Force. "Now, Kenobi, since you're having trouble walking we'll move the Lady. Five steps, Lady Skywalker, and no tricks."
Anakin slowed his breathing as he listened to his captor order his wife around. He had to do something. The sound of Padmé's footsteps echoed in the room.
Anakin heard sounds of clapping. "Good!" Palpatine's voice echoed hollowly as he praised his apprentice. "Good! Excellent Jade. You've done well. Three opponents and you've bested them all. You are more powerful than I thought."
Tasha's foot ground into his spine. "Thank you Master. What would you have me do with Skywalker?"
"Put him in one of the cells, his wife in another. You, of course, may keep Kenobi in your chambers."
"Thank you, Master." Anakin thought he heard an undertone in her voice. Something akin to disgust, or maybe even fear. So, Tasha wasn't as willing as she seemed. Maybe he could use it to his advantage. "Are you sure you don't want me to kill him?"
Palpatine was quiet for a long moment, Anakin holding his breath and trying to formulate some kind of plan. He needed his lightsaber if he was to have a chance against Tasha. Still, it wasn't like he had many options pinned to the floor.
Palpatine finally spoke. "Are you so eager to do away with the one you consider a rival?"
"If he's dead I have no competition."
"Fine, kill him. As long as I have one Skywalker I can find their children."
"NO!"
Anakin flinched at Padmé's scream.
Tasha smiled triumphantly, raising her lightsaber high above her head as she dropped to one knee, placing it squarely on Anakin's back.
"No! Please no, oh no, Anakin!"
Anakin made to strain under Tasha's hold but she held him firmly, with more strength than he'd given her credit for. He heard the blade hum through the air and then there was a sharp stabbing pain and he screamed.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 28
She smiled, a cold calculating smile, as she stepped away from the three and bowed to him. Their faces were shocked as they watched her. "Thank you, my Master. It wasn't easy."
"Pearl?" Obi-Wan looked at her, silently imploring her to look at him.
She walked towards the Sith, turning halfway, her hand going to her lightsaber as she looked at them. "Think you can take me, Obi-Wan?"
She looked at him coldly as he watched her, incredulous. "You can't mean this, not after everything you said, everything you did..."
"Feeling betrayed, Kenobi?" She taunted, easily throwing her lightsaber from one hand to the other. "I should hope so. You Jedi are fools. To think you honestly feel something for me. By now you should know I'll never betray my Master."
Sidious stood and carefully began to walk towards them, stopping at Tasha's side. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you proud to be the father of a future Sith, Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan glared at the man for a half second before taking a deep breath and allowing his anger to drain away. "You will never have my child. It's better she die now, unborn, than live her life under your thumb."
"You would kill the mother of your child? The woman you claim to love?"
He flinched, stepping forward past Anakin and facing the cloaked man. "If it means ridding the galaxy of the Sith presence, yes."
Tasha's hand slipped down to her abdomen, her eyes flashing green fire. "You may think you can best me Obi-Wan, but a woman fights for her offspring. You won't harm my child."
Sidious laughed. "I see we have a lover's spat. Did you tell him, my apprentice?"
"Yes Master."
"Then he knows what will be expected of him?"
"Yes Master."
"Will he comply?"
She slanted a glance at Obi-Wan. "No Master."
"No?"
She shook her head.
"I see. He'll have to be persuaded then. Did you find Rykezzk and Nishya?"
"Rykezzk found me. He tried to kill me."
Sidious didn't even glance at her. "I see he failed."
"Skywalker's wife killed him. A lucky shot from what I gathered from her thoughts. Something about being bested with Force lightening and then waking up slung over his shoulder. He took her feet under the chin and it snapped his neck."
The dark lord said nothing as she gave him details.
"Nishya wasn't with him as far as I could tell. Shielding myself from the Force didn't allow me to scan thoroughly for her presence."
"I killed her."
Her gaze went to Obi-Wan who was standing at the ready, his face an unreadable mask. "You?"
He nodded.
"My my, you're a better choice for a consort than I thought. I wouldn't move that way, Skywalker, the traps on the floor are lethal to Jedi."
Anakin froze in the direction he was going, his gaze scanning the floor. Nothing. But then, nothing in the Force either. It seemed like a Force-dead area. "Why are you doing this, Tasha?"
She didn't even look at him as he gaze went back to Kenobi. "I told you it was too late, Skywalker, but you didn't listen. This is the only way I'll truly be free."
Obi-Wan's felt as if he'd been kicked in the chest. This couldn't be happening, not after the chances he'd taken to try and get through to her! "You can't win, Pearl. There are three of us against you, you can't hope to take all of us on."
Sidious laughed a low, maniacal laugh. "You forget, young Kenobi, that I have the power to heighten her strength." He stepped away from her, back towards his chair. "Jade is my finest pupil, better than even Skywalker. Kill the woman first."
Tasha's face was filled with an incredulous look but it vanished in a half second. He'd never told her that, why did he have to wait until now to boost her ego? She felt his invasion, his power, suffuse her body, the strength of his will destroying her shield and opening her to the Force. Yet a part of her remained detached, hidden from his presence. She would never allow him to see it, even in death. Her lightsaber ignited. Her gaze went to where Padmé stood with her blaster leveled on her. "You're dead, Lady Skywalker."
Anakin's blade ignited, followed closely by Obi-Wan's. "You'll have to get through us first, Tasha."
Her lips thinned into a firm line. "So be it."
She exploded into action, a blur of movement as the Force wrapped around her, guiding her movements. Her rapid strikes and lightning fast blows put both men back on their heels, quickly dropping into defensive positions as her single, amber blade rained blow after blow upon them. The three lightsabers crossed in front of her and she laughed, a sound of pure pleasure, as she threw them wide and flipped upwards. Hidden in the shadows overhead were catwalks. Designed for the security force that was conspicuously absent, Tasha was familiar with their every inch. She closed down her blade as she flipped to the catwalk and ran towards the blast doors, her eyes on her target.
Padmé carefully lined the other woman up with her blaster, but was loath to shoot her. She was carrying a child and that child had done nothing to deserve death. Tasha closed in as Anakin and Obi-Wan swiftly came to her side, their lightsabers forming a protective wall around her.
The smell of burning ozone was the only warning they got as blue-white lightening flashed from half-way across the room and into their group. Padmé bit her lip to keep from screaming as the sensation of being impaled by a million little lightsabers flashed through her skull. Just as quickly, the sensation was gone.
Anakin stood before them, lightsaber outstretched, catching the bolts on the blade. "You'll have to do better than that, Palpatine."
Tasha dropped from the rafters, landing directly in front of Obi-Wan, her lightsaber in hand. It ignited with its distinctive snap-hiss and he barely had a chance to raise his blade to block her blow as she struck. He was sweating, immersed in the force so deeply he didn't even notice that his physical body was straining from exertion. The Force lightning had weakened him, yet his reflexes were precise, smooth. Tasha fought with a grace and cunning he hadn't seen since Darth Maul. No, that wasn't exactly right. She fought as a blend of two styles mixed with her own. And because of that, she was a very deadly opponent.
She feinted to the left, drawing him that way before going back right. Obi-Wan just barely had time to get his lightsaber in the way as Tasha lunged for Padmé. Their blades crossed in front of Padmé, who leveled her blaster at Tasha. A half second later it was forcefully ripped from her grasp by an invisible hand and sent spinning across the floor. She stepped away from the deadly blades as Tasha turned to look at Obi-Wan, her eyes narrowing. "You will not interfere."
She twirled her blade against his, sparks flying as the motion picked up speed. He found her rhythm, matched it, and allowed the Force to guide him. He was ready when she made to jump away, towards Padmé, and stepped into her path, his blade above his head to catch her downwards stroke. They were a blur of light as blue crossed amber again and again, the sound of clashing energy echoing through the chamber. Obi-Wan refused to give. He was hard-pressed to defend against her, but he was damn well going to try. She lunged again and, as he moved to block, countered it, scoring a hit on his thigh that sent him to his knees.
A quick, burning sensation and then numbness made him gasp. "Obi-Wan!" Padmé's call was anxious. "Anakin!"
Anakin couldn't spare a glance behind him, but he knew what he'd see, he'd felt it in the Force. Obi-Wan had taken a vicious hit to one of his thighs. Yet, he still held onto his lightsaber. If he didn't move and Obi-Wan couldn't hold Tasha back, he could lose Padmé! That was unforgivable; he wouldn't allow it to happen.
Tasha slashed at the downed Knight, sending his lightsaber spinning as she flipped over his head. He'd been disoriented by her attack, by his injury, and his hold on his weapon and the Force had weakened. Surprisingly, she felt no pride in besting him. She landed a few steps behind him and advanced on Padmé.
Padmé's sleeve blaster dropped into her hand and she shot twice at the approaching woman. Tasha deflected the bolts away from her. "You can't win, Lady Skywalker."
"Neither can you, Tasha." Padmé continued to back away, wondering why she didn't just rush her and get this over with. Why didn't Tasha just kill her quickly? "So this is what you want? To be enslaved to power? You have such-"
"Shut up."
Padmé gulped as green fires lit the woman's eyes. She was being stalked expertly, driven to wherever Tasha wanted her to go. Slowly, she made to change the course, but to no avail. Where was Tasha pushing her?
Tasha fought against the compulsion of her Master to strike quickly. Why strike when one could savor the fear of your enemy? She wouldn't allow him to control her. As she's told the Jedi, she would be no man's slave. Carefully, she continued to stalk the other woman, driving her back and to the left. Into the shadows.
Anakin felt Padmé's distress, her fear at what was going to happen. And yet she was calm. He took pride in the fact that she didn't believe herself beaten yet. Palpatine's tricks were many, from Force lightning to mind tricks that threatened to tear his mental blocks down. His bond to the evil Sith had been broken for a long time, and the evil power could find no hand hold.
Anakin advanced on the man, catching another burst of Force lightning on his blade. Unconsciously, he reached out and pulled Obi-Wan's lightsaber to him. If he was going to approach that menace, he wanted to do it with an extra weapon in hand. "I won't tolerate this any longer, Sidious! You've harmed enough of my family."
Anakin was frantically searching for a way to break away from Palpatine's assault and go to his wife's aid. The Sith lord was relentless, his attacks increasing in strength as Anakin fended each one off. Anakin quickly understood that diving the man's attention was crucial. Each time one attack stopped, he felt Palpatine's focus drift for a second, replenishing or checking Tasha's strength, before starting another attack on him. It was in that split second which he would have to act. Padmé's mind was accessible with him so deeply immersed in the Force and he could tell she was planning something. A smile kicked up the side of his mouth as he realized she had her mental blocks firmly in place. Pride swelled his chest as he caught another blot of lightning.
Padmé was continuing to back away from Tasha when, all of a sudden, Anakin cried out, drawing her attention. Lightning sizzled where Anakin had been standing moments before. Her eyes widened when there was a rush of wind in front of her face. Anakin landed between her and Tasha, his lightsaber swinging towards her head, Obi-Wan's spinning through the air to his side and catching the bolt of Force energy Sidious sent his way.
Tasha parried his blow as Padmé tripped over her blaster, going down hard on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she realized where Tasha had been herding her. She scooped the blaster into her hand before turning to watch. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Anakin and Tasha fight.
And what a fight it was. Their lightsabers were long streaks of light and sparks, clashing together repeatedly as they fought to gain the upper hand. Anakin was a brilliant whirl of color, twirling and quick stepping to keep driving Tasha back. She was rocked back on her heels, suddenly on the defensive at his vicious attack. Her amber blade wove back and forth in a defensive pattern that kept his twin blades at bay, but never gave her the opportunity to counter attack. She was pushed back one slow step at a time until her Master launched an attack at Skywalker.
He whirled away, catching the lightning on the crossed blades before spinning to attack Tasha again. She wasn't there.
"ANAKIN!"
He turned in time to receive a kick to the face that sent him sprawling. Before he could react the hum of a lightsaber was close to his neck, the hairs singed from the proximity of the blade. "Don't move, Skywalker."
"Anakin!"
Anakin closed his eyes against Padmé's horrified voice. He could feel her terror, the deeply routed fear that he was going to be taken from her permanently. He couldn't allow that to happen. His children, his wife; his family needed him. Breathing shallowly, he kept his face turned to the side as one strong boot settled between his shoulder blades. The lightsabers were torn from his grip and sent spinning away. He could fairly feel the energy crackling around the woman who held his life in the palm of her hands.
"Stay where you are, Lady Skywalker, unless you want your husband to be my new pincushion." Anakin's heart froze in his chest at Tasha's words. "That's it, over there, right next to Ob- Kenobi. Good. Now, ten steps to your right."
Anakin felt a sudden shiver of dread as Padmé and Obi-Wan disappeared from the Force. "Now, Kenobi, since you're having trouble walking we'll move the Lady. Five steps, Lady Skywalker, and no tricks."
Anakin slowed his breathing as he listened to his captor order his wife around. He had to do something. The sound of Padmé's footsteps echoed in the room.
Anakin heard sounds of clapping. "Good!" Palpatine's voice echoed hollowly as he praised his apprentice. "Good! Excellent Jade. You've done well. Three opponents and you've bested them all. You are more powerful than I thought."
Tasha's foot ground into his spine. "Thank you Master. What would you have me do with Skywalker?"
"Put him in one of the cells, his wife in another. You, of course, may keep Kenobi in your chambers."
"Thank you, Master." Anakin thought he heard an undertone in her voice. Something akin to disgust, or maybe even fear. So, Tasha wasn't as willing as she seemed. Maybe he could use it to his advantage. "Are you sure you don't want me to kill him?"
Palpatine was quiet for a long moment, Anakin holding his breath and trying to formulate some kind of plan. He needed his lightsaber if he was to have a chance against Tasha. Still, it wasn't like he had many options pinned to the floor.
Palpatine finally spoke. "Are you so eager to do away with the one you consider a rival?"
"If he's dead I have no competition."
"Fine, kill him. As long as I have one Skywalker I can find their children."
"NO!"
Anakin flinched at Padmé's scream.
Tasha smiled triumphantly, raising her lightsaber high above her head as she dropped to one knee, placing it squarely on Anakin's back.
"No! Please no, oh no, Anakin!"
Anakin made to strain under Tasha's hold but she held him firmly, with more strength than he'd given her credit for. He heard the blade hum through the air and then there was a sharp stabbing pain and he screamed.